For Your Party {Giveaway!!!}

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I am just about ready to be lost in all kinds of party planning.  November through February are an entertaining whirlwind for me.  I've got 11 family birthdays, 3 holidays and whatever else I dream up to work on for the blog.  While we don't throw all out parties for each of these birthdays we like to do something special for each person.  What I love about For Your Party is that you can get custom napkins or other party paper items printed (in totally reasonable quantities) to help celebrate a special occasion without breaking your back planning an over the top gala.  Who wouldn't be excited to show up to a dinner in their honor and find a napkin, coaster or stir stick created just for them?  

For Your Party knows that you all have a lot going on this time of year and are giving away an awesome set of party goods to one lucky reader.

Giveaway includes: 

*50 Stir Sticks - For Your Party offers 3 styles/shapes to choose from and graphics and design are totally customizable. 

*50 Printed Coasters - 4 styles to choose from.  Winner can customize the look to suit their party needs. 

*50 Printed Cocktail Napkins in any color with customized message.

Winner can personalize the products with any choice of color, over 70 fonts, tons of shapes and message copy.  Or choose one of their ready made designs, all of which are super cool!  Take a minute to look around their site and see some examples, this will give you a ton of ideas of what they are capable of doing. 

  

Don't have any parties coming up?  Create something special for your family's Thanksgiving dinner.  

Photo Sources:

Trifle, wine glasses (my photo), glitter pumpkin and flowers, turkey breast

Stir Stick, napkin and coaster were created by me using the For Your Party site which is super easy to use to customize most of their products any way you want. 

Or use one of their "vintage inspired" themes for an upcoming baby shower you have to throw.  

Photo Sources:

Popcorn, cake stand, garland, mint tissue ball, green and white tissue pinwheel, drink, baby shower game card.  Umbrella napkin, stir stick and candy favor box created on the For Your Party site. 

The possibilities are virtually endless.  

To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me what event you will use the custom goods for.  I will choose one winner, at random.  Will accept comments until midnight, Monday, October 24, 2011 and announce the winner on Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

Follow For Your Party on Facebook for a 10% discount on your order!

Follow them on Twitter and check out their blog for more ideas on how to use their awesome products! 

Sharon

Photos of winning items care of For Your Party

Tiny Prints - Review

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I was contacted recently by Tiny Prints to see if I would be interested in reviewing their cards.  I've known about them for years, but never had the right opportunity to use them before.  Until now.  My mother-in-law asked me to help her with a 90th birthday party for my husband's grandmother.  While I knew that Tiny Prints made adorable children's party invites and cool, modern Christmas cards, I wasn't sure what I would find in the way of adult invitations. 

I left the final decision making up to my mother-in-law (see the above) but found that they have a bunch of great options for adult invitations.  

Image via Tiny Prints - Painted Trunks in Cabernet

Although they have this sampled as a holiday party, it was easily found under a heading for birthday party invitations for adults.

Image via Tiny Prints - Festive Fanfare Bright Green

Love how modern the green and grey is and love the offset detail box.

Image via Tiny Prints - Inspired Garden: Begonia

And how fantastical is this chic floral invite?! I love everything about it.

Image via Tiny Prints - Allergy Alert Cards, Bright Boxes: Sky

But I was pleasantly surprised when I came across these Allergy Alert cards.  As some of you may know, my oldest son has multiple food allergies.  And with him about to start kindergarten and us contemplating taking him on a trip back east this summer, these cards could really come in handy.  And there are 4 different styles to choose from.  RAD.IC.LE.

And I had no idea that they also had greeting cards.  I can't tell you how many times I have fretted over having to run out to buy a greeting card to get it in the mail on time.  Sometimes you just don't want to drag two kids over to Target, where there is a Lego section and where you could quite literally have two separate tantrums happening at once causing you to shed tears and sweat like a fat man.  Not saying that has happened...There are several ways they can help with the cards.  They can send them out for you and allow the card to arrive to the recipient faster and possibly on time for once in your life.  Or they can send the card to you, so you can personally sign it and then send it out from home.  Awesome.  And they also have business products, wedding invites and photo gifts.  Sheesh.  If Tiny Prints ran for prom queen she would probably win.  She's got it all. 

I had a little hiccup with my ordering.  I had saved a draft in a folder but then couldn't access it to put in my cart when I was ready to order.  I used the instant chat capability and within a minute I was chatting with a customer service rep and figured out the problem without having to grab the phone or wait to get an email back which may or may not have had the right answer.  I LOVE this option.  And once the order was placed, I received an email from a customer service rep.  She said that she had personally checked my order and sent it on to the printers.  There was a name and a phone number with an extension in case I had any questions or concerns.  What the what?!  That's customer service, people! 

I had an awesome experience with Tiny Prints and would certainly use them again.  I'm not sure why I continually fret over my novice graphic design capabilities and try to design all my own invites when there are professionals and designers who do it so much better and can be obtained with the click of the mouse.  

If you haven't used them yet, you should try them.  Don't get me started about the envelope options...

Sharon

top 2 photos are mine

Introducing Studio Lotus & November

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I'm so excited to share with you the launch of Studio Lotus & November.  You sort of know Lisa already as I used one of her designs for my very first Inspiration Board Challenge.  At the time, she was in the process of setting up shop and it's finally done!

 Check out some of these super cute baby announcements!

 Need help with your business identity?  Studio Lotus & November can help!

 Lisa creates everything from party invites to full wedding invitation suites.

Looking for a personalized notecard or thank you note?  Look no further than Studio Lotus & November.

Check out her Etsy shop, but remember all her work is custom and specific to your event.  Don't hesitate to contact her with your inquiry.

Sharon

You've got wine on your face...

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I love wine. I don't love wine tags. There is something about them that seems so cheap. But I do love to personalize things. This wine glass photo marker project seems really simple and requires little more then an exacto, mod podge, and a photo printer. That is a craft that even I can handle. Don't have photos of all your expected party guests? Use patterned or colored paper that matches your party theme and write their names on those. See the full DIY run down at Photojojo.com. Per their website the project is done by Alicia Kachmar, see more of her crafts here.

S-

Photos via Photojojo.com

Slice - My favorite thing from the CHA show

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It's pretty bad in my house right now. I've got one kid on a nap strike. I've got another kid packing up his snacks for his sleepover at Grandma Marilyn's tomorrow night. How helpful, you may say, and yes, he is an exceptional helper. But what you don't know is that he is "helping" by folding everything up to fit in the compartments. I tried to explain to him that granola bars don't fare well when folded but he just pushed on, folding away. And the worst part, it has been so long since I've been to the grocery store that I am eating leftover edamame for a snack. I'd really like a cookie but this is all that is left. I wonder how they would taste when chocolate covered...Ever since I got back from the Craft and Hobby Association winter craft show last weekend, I have been glued to the internet. I knew that I would find a lot of really great crafty items that would be amazing when planning a party but I didn't realize I would also learn more about great products that I had seen before. My favorite thing I ran across was the Slice. A- already owns a Cricut which she got for her birthday a few years ago (don't think I didn't push for that for her, I would never put one on my list. I'd rather have boots, but I digress). She does some amazing things with it and it really does add a little something special to our parties. I have been afraid of it, however. It's big and scary looking and daunting. I have never fully embraced it. But at the show, I walked up to the Making Memories booth and went directly the display wall. There were photos and samples of party products that were soooooooo cute that I just had to figure out how they were made. Not only did I see a bevy of cartridges to choose from but also one specifically for an Elmo party and in my head I immediately saw a delightful themed party done in a palatable way. Can you totally picture the very recognizable shape of Elmo's head but done in a variety of patterned papers? They also used some of their adorable coordinated paper collections to put together some favor bags and decor. So I stopped to watch a demonstration of the machine that created all this party goodness. A sweet little old lady, bless her heart, was putting together a make and take card. It was the perfect speed to take in all the the machine does. The machine is so small and easy to use and had no cords running off of it so you could easy take it wherever you go. I love that! I have a party kit I take with me to parties for last minute touch ups. I wouldn't hesitate to bring this with me in case I needed a last minute tag or quick sign. Once the lady finished her card I was able to ask the demonstrator a few questions. I did not catch her name, but I do remember her being very tall and blond. Right now the machine cuts out shapes in whatever size you choose. But coming in April and the months beyond, the machine will have more tips to choose from. For example, instead of just cutting out paper, you will be able to draw the shapes on with the pen tip. They are also coming out with a glue tip which you can then douse with glitter and sparkle away. I want one really bad. If I would have bought one at the show, I would have been entered to win an adorable pink or mint green Vespa (which my husband promptly informed me that we could have painted black for him). I may have to rethink my selfish gift list criteria. No wait, A's birthday is February 13...

In researching the Slice further I realized what a great resource the Making Memories website is, especially the Ideas and How To sections as well as their blog. And there is also a separate website set up for the Slice machine with an even better idea gallery. Both places have party items to inspire you and they all contain shopping lists and tutorials. I'm feeling all kinds of crafty all of the sudden!

You can buy a Slice Starter kit for $150 as well as papers and the cartridges right on line and also at your local craft retailer.

So in conclusion, I really wish I had this machine for a little shindig I am throwing with friends tomorrow and it is now dinner time and I have no groceries and meal planned. If only the Slice website also had pizza delivery...

S-

*first four photos from WhySlice.com and last picture from the Making Memories blog.

My cupcake dreams have been answered

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I came across this blog called The Cupcake Activist recently. This is a girl after my own heart. To say she enjoys cupcakes would probably be an understatement. If you look at her blog, you will see that she has visited a ton of shops and taken the time to review a bunch of them for you. I have not gotten through all her reviews as of yet, but it will certainly help me map out a birthday cupcake crawl (similar to a bar crawl but we'll still be able to drive).

She is holding a giveaway for The Cupcake Tower, of which I had never seen before. It is awesome. I am in love with it and want one. I'm not going to lie, I get more points in the giveaway if I blog about it. But I also wanted to make sure that all of you knew about this stand. There are four sizes to choose from and different ribbon kits to finish off the stand. Prices range from $34 to $160 and these stands will last for years to come. My dad created the cupcake stand for my wedding in 2003 and we had little to go from at the time. If only I had had the foresight to utilitze his amazing woodworking skills we would have been left with an heirloom instead of the styrophoam monster that was finally laid to rest after it's 4th move with us. Check out their gallery to see all kinds of inspiring ideas. And be sure to read The Cupcake Activist, not only for the giveaways and reviews, but for the yummy recipes she posts as well!!!!!

S-

Photos via The Cupcake Tower

Paper Pastries - Yummy enough to send

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I know, I know. My posts have been sporadic at best. We are in full house hunt mode (and my husband is so not concerned with finding the perfect house to entertain and store all my party stuff. He's interested in location, good schools, codes - that kind of boring stuff) so my time is mostly spent driving or scouring the Internet. We did manage to find a few minutes between open houses yesterday to stop by the Patchwork Indie Arts and Craft Festival. I'm so glad we did because there was the cutest cards, stationery, etc. by a company called Paper Pastries. Their stuff is handmade, charming, humorous, and pretty (I'm really in to pretty right now, uh oh is Shabby Chic going to rear it's pretty head in my decor again?!). Check out their site, especially their holiday offerings and read their blog for daily doses of pretty. They are graciously allowing me to pass on a holiday discount to you. Go to www.paperpastries.bigcartel.com and enter "pumpkin" to receive a 15% off discount until November 31, 2009. Run, don't walk!

S-

You're invited...

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Kids really do bring people together. I met my friend, Shiwa, when she filled in for one of my co-workers that was going out on maternity leave. The funniest part was that she was also pregnant and would be just about ready to have the baby when my co-worker was due to return. Even funnier, I was also pregnant at the same time. It was safe to say that none of the other women in the company wanted to drink the water. Shiwa was hired, in part, for her graphic design skills and I am so excited to see that she has decided to create a company to share her talent with others. Kreative Lil Invites is a passion for her. She has created very cool photo invites, thank yous, etc. for you to choose from, but she really excels at custom work. Take some time to peruse her samples. She offers girl, boy and unisex options as well as elegant, modern design and colors and character themed. Kreative Lil Invites run between approximately $1 - $2 and turn around is between 2-3 weeks. Be sure to check out her site next week when she will have up some really great options for Halloween and is currently working on her holiday designs as well. Oh guess what? She has graciously extended a discount to our readers. Use the code "LAUNCHPARTY" for 10% your entire Kreative Lil Invites order!!! Congrats, Shiwa!!!!! I'm so proud of you and wish you much success.

S-

all photos from Kreative Lil Invites.

why yes, those are my sons shown in the first sample...:)

Naked cupcakes no more!

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Some of us plan really detailed parties with elaborate themes, crazy decor and ponies. Some of us like a more modern, simple, sophisticated party. I just found this amazing Etsy site, Bug & Boo - "where cupcakes don't go topless," that will work for both. These custom cupcake toppers are my new favorite party product. I can't wait to use them!!!! Photography is one of those ways to really personalize a party. And this company takes it to a whole new level. At first glance, one might say, "I could make those photo cupcake toppers. No problem." BeeYatch, please. Look again. The perfect edges of the photos, the extra touch of party hat and glitter, the special wooden pick. You can't step to this. They offer many different options from close up photos to full body shots, with custom color party hat, pirate hat or crown, all photo toppers or a mix with photos and monogram picks. Take the time to look through all their products. You will get so many ideas. Check out the Teacher's Pet set! Don't see something that you like? Contact them. They can absolutely work with you to find something that will work. These are something that will leave your guests talking about your party for sure. Adding a custom hat is just another way to continue a theme through all aspects of your party. But just using a photo topper with a monochromatic color scheme could be just the thing to keep things simple and lovely. And the prices are FANTASTIC for all the work these take to make. Aside from the photo cupcake toppers, they also do photo favor bags, etc. S - I am planning a baby shower and a photo is not yet available, are there any options for me? Of course!! They have the cutest giraffe picks and other cute characters that would work perfectly. S - My dad is turning 99, giraffe's kinda aren't his thing. Check out these great numbers to use as a cake topper. Etsy never disappoints but I am in LOVE with Bug & Boo. I can't believe that I don't have another kids party to plan until December!!!!!! I'll have to find a use for these before then. I've known my husband since junior high. I am sure I can come up with some really great photos for his birthday...

S-

via My Right Brain

Photo Garland (coffee hasn't kicked in yet, no puns today)

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I have had a lot of opportunity lately to take photographs. Sometimes it is really hard for me to pick up my camera and shoot with two kids under foot. I'm going to be honest, I have way fewer photos of M then of my first child, O. Often, it is just me and I don't have a spotter for M when I'm trying to prop him up in silly poses. O is so over having his picture taken that I now have a series of his blurry back. And have I remembered to put the camera up high enough? O seems to really enjoy taking photos and seems to know that his Fisher Price digital camera simply doesn't compare to my Nikon. So I have been really excited with all the parties we have been having that allow me to pawn the kids off on a relative and leave me free to roam. And I have also found, that as M is starting to hold himself up more, I can get photos other then him just lying on a blanket. I am currently sorting through hundreds and hundreds of the digital photos we have taken since M's arrival in December and am trying to figure out how to display them. I found this great photo garland over on Decor8 this morning. I love that it incorporates fabric and larger photos then most other photo garlands. I think this would make amazing party decor for all kinds of party. What a great way to showcase photos from your babies first year. Or to celebrate a couple's courtship at a bridal shower or anniversary party. The fabric is so much warmer then cardstock and I love the sunny print they chose in this version. I think I will give this a try in our bedroom.

Here are other examples of photo garland: Martha Stewart, Party Perfect, and Celebrations.com.

S-

(bottom photo is one of my favorites of M, just had to share)

I've never FELT this way before

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I am so not in to the cutesy stuff. I like crafty things, but they can't be too overdone or fussy. For example, party hats. Of course, for little girls, over the top and frilly is fine, once in a while. But sometimes their are so many sparkles and feathers and pink and sequins that it sort of looks like all of the Disney fairies threw up on their head all at one time. Similarly for boys, if their party hat has too much foof (that is totally a word by the way) - well, I'm just going to say it - I think they look like sissys (I have never had to pluralize that before, it doesn't look right...). When I saw these hats by Cakies, I felt in love - get it (cause the hats are made from felt). They are totally cute but look modern and a bit unfinished (which they may not like me calling them, but I think of it as a good thing - you know not OVER done). I love that they are themey without being overwhelming. I love the colors. I love the shapes. I love the price ($36). This is totally one of those items that you could reuse over and over for special occasions or add to their dress up kits. I do not love dressing my kids up for parties. But I do love the idea of throwing on jeans, a white tshirt and the superhero crown for a super hero party. Totally cool and the kid will be way in to it. Check them out and purchase through their Etsy site. I didn't read all the fine print, but I imagine if you asked really nicely, you may be able to get her to work out a custom crown for you...and don't forget to check out all the other super cute hair clips.

S-

via Daily Stroll

Be my guest

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Dear Minutes,

Look, I know that there are only so many of you in a day. But I wanted to bring you up to speed on a few things. Have you heard of cloning? Cause they are doing it with sheep now. That isn't useful to me. But if you could get cloned, minutes, just think of all the stuff I could get done. Like O's party pictures. People are asking for them. And I just don't have enough of you to get those posted. Take right now for instance. I have a few spare of you and I am doing a super quick post so as not to leave the readers hanging (fyi, I usually write these the night before they show up on the blog). But then you know what I am going to do? Go to sleep. I don't feel good. My 4 month old is also sick. I imagine he'll want to take a chunk of my minutes in the middle of the night. Just because he can. So please, I beg you. Just say you'll look in to it. Also our ground transportation has improved by leaps and bounds. So instead of flying, like your kind (time) seems to do, please use a slower mode of transport. It would really help us all out. You see, I co-hosted an amazing bridal shower a few weekends ago, and those pictures need to get posted too. The Paper and Cake downloadable tablescape was AWESOME and I really want to show you what we did with it. But, time flies and that post is still on the to do list. At the shower the bride showed me something super cool though, and I am not sure why I didn't think of it (on account of how super cool I am). So I am going to take a few of you minutes and show you her beautiful guest book. We have all done the digital photo books by now. We've probably even branched out a bit and made recipe books. But she did one for her wedding guest book. Had this been around when I got married (or it probably was but hardly any one had digital cameras back then) I totally would have done this. She took her engagement photos and uploaded them to Shutterfly and is using that as her guest book. The rest of you are probably like, duh, but I hadn't thought of that!! For about $30.00, she has the best keepsake ever!!!! We used a blank Kolo photo album for ours but then you end up with all kinds of empty pages. Same thing with a traditional guest book. Not sure why most books include enough space for everyone at your party to leave their sentiments, which is usually their name or a brief sentence, but also enough room for the service staff, all your vendors, the little kid down the street and his science teacher. Lame. There are a ton of options available for these photo guest books including however many pages you want, cover finishes, design elements, font styles. Sheesh! I am so jealous. Of course all the other photo sites do these books too, but I really like how hers came out so I am sharing hers. You can purchase one just like it from Shutterfly. Thank you for your time, minutes (ha!). I appreciate you hearing me out.

Sincerely,

S-